3.

Lydia watched Stiles leave. It was nice to be the one doing the watching for once instead of the other way around. The only problem was that for once, she was afraid that he might not be watching back anymore.

In the midst of all of it, all of this terrifying shit that was happening to her, she thought back to Allison's puppy love monologue. The one made all the way back before her life had become such a trainwreck. At the time, Lydia had thought it was childish, and later, once she learned the truth, she had thought it was utterly insane. But now, watching Stiles Stilinski leave, she was breathless.

Scott stayed silent for a moment before—

"I've never seen him like that. Ever." His voice was quiet, and Lydia bit back a smile. Even now, after everything he been through, Scott was still gentle as a puppy. She'd always thought that he and Stiles matched that way. Scott was a puppy, and Stiles just looked like one with his big brown eyes and wide lolling smile. It was mostly the eyes though. Even when he'd been calling her an omen of death, they never once steeled over. It was almost horrifying, except for the fact that it was Stiles.

Now was not the time for this. She could feel a fear creeping through her veins and promptly pushed it away. She was no longer human and helpless. She was a—a Banshee. Which meant there were rules. There was history and she was going to have concise answers. There was no more guesswork.

"Not even when his mom died." Scott continued, "He was panicked and afraid, but never angry."

Lydia nodded, looking down at her hands.

"I don't remember it." She admitted, ashamed, "He carried around that little book of medical information for so long, but I just thought he was doing a project. I never asked—I was such a bitch. I've been a bitch."

She looked back at the doorway and let out a shaky breath she didn't know she'd been holding. Scott stood up next to her and smiled sadly, offering her a hand.

"He wanted to know everything about it while it was happening. He's always been a research fiend." He replied, hoisting Lydia to her feet, "But it's not your—"

"Not my fault?" Lydia shot back, wiping her hands on her skirt primly, "Except that it is. Stiles kept saying that I could do something and I just thought he wanted me around so I ignored it. But now…now I know I could have helped. Found more than just a dead body with my omen of death-ness."

She ignored the part of her mind that told her she had wanted so badly to believe that he only wanted to include her. The part that warmed at the idea. Scott gave her a sympathetic look.

"Lydia, I know he didn't mean that. I mean, maybe it's true, but he didn't mean it as an insult. Right now he's just, he's…something."

Lydia laughed out loud in spite of herself.

"I know." She answered, still looking from the broken window to the door, "I just hope that we can un-something him."

Scott sighed heavily and gave her hand a squeeze.

"He's my brother. We will. I swear. But right now we need to find Allison and Isaac." He said carefully, "Something else happened at the recital and we need to figure out what the Alpha's next move will be. And Ms. Blake still needs to more guardians for sacrifice."

There was a hint of stress lacing his words and Lydia knew that she needed to snap him out of it. She could feel the gears turning in her head. They needed a plan, and quickly.

"Okay. Let's go." She said, pulling Scott out the door by the hand, looking back at him as they walked, "Allison has the map of the city's currents, and that's our key to finding the sacrifices. Isaac will have seen where the twins went."

Scott nodded and kept pace with her, letting go of her hand.

"Do you think they knew what was going to happen?" she asked, "It was Aidan that texted me to leave the concert." Scott shook his head.

"I don't think so. They aren't working together. She must have taken his phone in class or something."

That was the other thing.

"You're right." Lydia agreed, still letting her mind scan the options, "Blake said something about them. That she was trying to help. She went into this long definition about the word sacrifice. Back to the latin definition, as if I didn't already know, but essentially it was her way of saying she was only doing what was necessary."

Scott growled and clenched his fists beside her.

"Yeah, because killing innocent people is necessary. She's crazy."

Lydia pursed her lips and stopped dead.

"She said I was like her." She said sadly. Scott looked at her and shook his head furiously.

"No. You're not. You're not crazy, you've never been crazy. We know there's a reason now, alright? You're brilliant Lydia. We could never have gotten this far without you. You've saved my ass so many times, and you always have a plan. I don't know if—with all of this 'true alpha stuff I've been thinking and, if I had a pack, if I have to have a pack, I'd want you in it." He spoke fiercely, and Lydia could see the gold threatening to break into his irises. But this time, this time it was redder than she'd ever seen.

Lydia smiled. She'd never been a fan of the story of Hercules. Of the stories where people rise to the occasion and then live on as these heroes. Sure, hard work will get you where you're meant to be, but it won't take you to supernatural heights. At least, she'd believed that until the supernatural came crashing into her own life. And now that it's been there awhile, she really didn't see herself believing that anyone could rise to the occasion the way she knew Scott would.

"Thank you. That means a lot to me." She said. Scott smiled warmly and rolled his eyes.

"It's mostly Stiles to be honest, he says it enough that it's rubbed off." He admitted. Lydia gave him a look of discern and tried very hard to ignore the butterflies that erupted in her stomach. This was not the time, she had work to do. Focus was key.

Scott's smile fell slightly and he backtracked his words, holding his hands up as if to keep her at bay.

"I mean, I think that too—really, you're great, but Stiles, Stiles has thought that even before all of this started. Not that you should be in a pack, obviously—that would be really fucking weird, but, I mean, all the other—"

"Scott! Lydia! Oh thank God. We thought you'd already left—"

"We need to tell Derek what happened. The twins left right after it happened and I don't know where—"

Lydia had never been happier to see Isaac Lahey in her life. She'd never actually been happy to see Isaac, but it was beside the point. She may be a Banshee, but two werewolves would always be better than one. Scott was already beside Isaac whispering in hushed tones. Allison touched Lydia's arm gently.

"We saw Stiles." She told her quietly. Lydia flinched involuntarily.

"Did he tell you what happened?" she asked, the thought of having to recount what had happened in the classroom was taxing. Allison nodded, smoothing her hair back behind her ears.

"Yeah. Among other things." She answered, "I don't care that you're a Banshee, if you were worried about that. You're still my best friend even if you do sense death and all."

Lydia giggled and gave her an incredulous look.

"You dated a werewolf. I should think the lack of transformation I possess would be comforting."

Allison rolled her eyes and looked over at Scott in what Lydia sincerely hoped was not meant to be subtle. But now wasn't the time. It was never a good time for relationship problems in their lives. Lydia needed to remember that.

"Allison we need to look at that map. We have to find the Sheriff before—"

Lydia's voice caught. She couldn't finish that sentence. Allison nodded and felt around her pockets for the map. Pulling it out, she fished the blacklight from her bag.

"Do I just—"Lydia snatched it from her hands and knelt on the floor, quickly unfolding it and spreading it out on the ground in front of them. Allison held the light and scanned the map for the currents.

"Here." Lydia motioned to the most recently drawn X. "It's here. At the—" She swallowed hard, "At the hospital."

Allison gasped and looked at her with wide eyes.

"They're keeping him at the hospital? Isn't that where Stiles—"

"It makes sense, Doctors are the guardians of society." Lydia cut her off sharply. She didn't want to hear the words. Stiles was going to be, he had to be…they needed to get there now.

Allison gave her a look of understanding and then gasped, grabbing Lydia's forearm.

"Lydia, she's looking for guardians. If she's at the hospital—" Lydia's mouth dropped open and whirled around, wide eyed.

"And what better guardian than that of true alpha." She finished faintly. Allison nodded, slowly closing her eyes.

Lydia turned to look at Scott and got to her feet.

"We need to go. Now."